Rawalpindi and the First World War

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BOOK NAME: Rawalpindi and the First World War
AUTHOR: General Staff Army Head Quarters, India
PUBLISHER: Khosla Printers, Lahore DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1920
The following excerpt has been taken from Pages: 1 — 26
“The Census of 1911 showed that Rawalpindi District with a Male Population of 2,96,518 stood 20th in the Punjab Districts which number 28.
“The recruiting figures for the war show that it stood first in recruiting, not only in the Punjab but in the whole of India. The district started the recruiting campaign with a distinct advantage over the majority of districts, not only had it already a very considerable number of men in the army but its economic condition, which is very different to that of the wealthy canal and central Punjab Districts, was such that it offered a very favourable soil for recruiting effort. The average holding in the district is just 4 acres. The district consists of four Tahsils, Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan, Kahuta and Murree and in two of these Tahsils, viz, Gujar Khan and Kahuta military service was very general, this is also true of the Karor, Chajana and Charehan Zails of the Murree Tahsils and it was these portions of the district that proved the best recruiting grounds. The remaining two zailas of the Muree Tahsil viz, Tret and Dewal contain 2/3rd of the population of the Tahsil and are chiefly inhabited by the Dhonds, a tribe which claiming a high position in the social scale, does little to justify it. Their villages with but few exceptions are very prosperous, lying as they do round Murree and near the Kashmir road. From the Cantonments they extract a very excellent livelihood during the hot weather months and during the cold they live in the idleness upon what they have earned.
“Rawalpindi Tahsil had not the military connections of the others when the war broke out and when this is considered, its efforts must be held to be most creditable. The Zamindar of this Tahsil looked to Rawalpindi City and Cantonment to support him; the Arsenal, the Railway Workshops, the Commissariat Department and the City Factories all drew their labour from the neighbouring villages before the war, the Zamindar finding that he could make more money at home, was not attracted by the army. During the war all these demands for labour were very largely enhanced and at one time the labour question became very acute.
“In Appendix I, will be found a register in which the record of each village in the district is shown by the Tahsils. This register shows the pre war numbers in the army, the numbers recruited during the war and the distinctions gained by members of the village community. A copy of the entry in this register has been made in the Lal Kitab of each village. This being so a very brief resume of the Tahsil statistics is all that would seem to be necessary here.
“The following table shows the numbers recruited during the war by Tahsils. These figures are compiled by the District authorities after enquiry in each village. The district total is shown as 23,629 but the official figures as furnished by the Government are 22,507, a difference of 1,122, this is probably due to the fact that in the district figures are shown all recruits who joined up, while the Government returns would not show men who had been dismissed as physically unfit after reaching their regiments. No returns by Tahsils are available but the district returns will serve as an approximate guide. They are:-
Murree: 3,028
Kahuta: 5,471
Rawalpindi: 7,222
Gujar Khan: 7,908
“R.B.S. Boota Singh, C.I.E., O.P.E. of Rawalpindi has rendered most valuable services during the way both by supplying recruits and by contributing handsome sums to the War Loans and charitable War Funds. He opened a Recruiting Agency at his headquarters at Rawalpindi in 12th May 1215, and immediately after started similar agencies at Peshawar, Lahore and Delhi, he supplied many thousands of recruits through these agencies at his own expense.
“His own estimate is that he supplied 11,842 recruits of which 2,385 were supplied through the Rawalpindi agency. He spent Ts. 90,310 on these recruiting agencies of which Rs.32,985 were spent on Rawalpindi agency. It was, however, thought advisable to stop these agencies as many people began a regular trade in recruiting and evil practices arose and the agency at Rawalpindi was closed in the beginning of the year 1918.
He contributed Rs.290,000 to the War Loans and Rs.3.300 to the different charitable War Funds in Rawalpindi District.
“Besides this he contributed Rs.260,000 towards the War Loan at Delhi and Rs.15,000 to differed charitable funds connected with the War. He also supplied material worth Rs.3,500 such as furniture for the Red Cross Depot and Munro Soldiers Canteen and clothes and other necessaries for Lady O' Dwyer's Soldiers Comfort Funds and other institutions of the kind.
“His son R. S. Harnam Singh went to Mesopotamia in connection with the firms tent repairing work there and did excellent work.
“The estate of the young Sirdars was under the Court of Wards when the war broke out but has since then been released.
“They have supplied 150 recruits and have contributed the substantial sum of Rs.300,000 to the War Loans and Rs. 31,220 to the different charitable funds.
“Besides the contribution Sirdar Mohan Singh subscribed Rs.100 to the Indian Relief Fund and Rs.500 to the Aeroplane Fund through A Chiefs College, Lahore.
“He is the spiritual leader of the Pothwar Sikhs. He ungrudgingly devoted his time, thought and money to further recruiting. He accompanied the recruiting officer on several lengthy and arduous recruiting tours in Poonch State and the Pothwar, and despite his frail state of health be on these occasions never spared himself. Through his influence and assistance a very fair number of the Sikhs of Poonch State and Rawalpindi came forward to enlist. He also supplied a large number of the recruits for the Brahmin Special Companies and many Musulman recruits for other units. His sons, Tika Surindar Singh and Kanwar Daya Singh were most energetic in seconding his efforts to help in recruiting and did good work.
“He contributed Rs.75,000 to the War Loans and Rs.8,200 to different charitable funds connected with the War.
“He received the honour of knighthood for his war services, as well as a recruiting Badge, a Sword of Honour and other Khillats and Sanads.
“No one in the Punjab, or in India, has rendered greater service during the War.
“At the commencement of the War he gave up his practice as a barrister and devoted himself with characteristic enthusiasm, energy and eloquence to War Work. He carried on an extensive propaganda in favour of recruiting for the Army, by means of letters pamphlet and posters, and by publication of a periodical devoted to recruiting and other War Work. His great influence in the community enabled him to gather together a large band of recruiting helpers whom he imbued with a share of his own enthusiasm. He accompanied the Recruiting Officer on many tours and on several occasions toured through the recruiting area himself. He was either closely identified with or actually originated every scheme and move to popularize recruiting.
“In short he constituted himself the advertisement agent and colleague of the Recruiting Officer, and the phenomenal success of recruiting in Rawalpindi Division, Kashmir and Poonch (over 40,000 recruits in 21/2 years) was to a great extent attributable to his work.
“At the beginning of 1917 his appointment as Public Prosecutor necessitated his giving up recruiting work to a great extent.
“In addition to his recruiting activities he took the foremost part in all work connected with the various War Funds of the District. He was Honourary Secretary of the War League of Rawalpindi up till May 1918 and in that capacity rendered most valuable services in raising the War Loan of 1917, and Rs. 27,000 to the War Loans and Rs. 4,200 to the different charitable funds connected with the War.
“Besides this he produced 10 recruits. He presented 10 tongas with all material valued at Rs. 4,500 and 1,000 maunds of hay for use in France.
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